The present invention generally relates to an exposure and developer device for translating an image from an electronic signal into a latent image on an appropriate photosensitive imaging media and developing the imaging media to provide a full color print of the image.
Imaging systems for recording an image from a video signal are well known and described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,140,428 and 5,223,960 to Goldstar, 5,128,773 and 5,189,468 to Fuji, 4,935,820 to 3M and 4,816,846 to AT&T. Such patents generally teach the use of a liquid crystal display (LCD) and/or a cathode ray tube (CRT) to produce a latent image on a photosensitive medium.
The photosensitive imaging media useful in the imaging systems include the microencapsulated imaging systems developed by the Mead Corporation and described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,209. The imaging media is developed by passing the exposed imaging media between a pair of calendar rollers which rupture the microcapsules, thereby allowing contact between the chromogenic material and the developer which react to develop the image. However, even carefully machined metal calendar rollers have uneven surfaces. If the pressure applied to the rollers is insufficient, the surfaces of the rollers may not be in uniform contact with each other over the entire length of the rollers. If the rupturing force is not uniformly distributed, the imaging sheets develop unevenly and the tonal characteristics of the resulting images will not be satisfactory.
Alternate techniques for processing imaging sheets without bulky, high pressure calendar rollers are known. For example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,699 describes the development of an imaging sheet containing microcapsules by moving a point contact which is resiliently biased into engagement with the imaging sheet. Typically, the imaging sheet is secured to a cylinder and the point contact is positioned in resilient pressure contact with the imaging sheet. As the cylinder is rotated, the point contact is simultaneously moved along the cylinder in synchronism with the rotation of the cylinder to rupture the microcapsules and develop the image in the imaging sheet, or the imaging sheet may be mounted on a planer platform and the point contact is moved across the surface of the sheet using a screw thread in an X-Y transport device. Also disclosed is an apparatus for developing a continuous web in which the point contact traverses the surface of the web in a variety of patterns; a circular path is illustrated.
While these alternate processing arrangements may be satisfactory for selected applications, there is no teaching of sequentially generating a latent image from an electronic signal and developing the latent image to provide a printed image using an exposure and pressure applicator device; particularly, a device in which the exposure element and the developer element are combined in a single, compact, scanning printer head.
As a result of the continuing interest in the generation of full color prints from electronic signals, a simple, low cost, compact printing device which is inherently reliable and which can translate the electronic signal into corresponding actinic radiation capable of image-wise exposing appropriate imaging sheets, and provide a compatible developing technology which may be integrally combined with the exposure technology is highly desired. None of the previously known systems satisfy these needs.